1 August 2005

A Leatherback Turtle¹, the largest reptile in the world, was found dead entangled in fishing gear off Bottallack, near Lands End on the north Cornwall coast on Monday. British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR)² medics Rory Goodall, Barry Andrew and Phil Hazell found the enormous turtle entangled in lobster pot buoy ropes, after it was initially spotted by a helicopter crew undertaking a survey from RNAS Culdrose. Rory, of Elemental Tours Wildlife Cruises said, "Initially I thought the turtle was still alive and in the hope that we could rescue it, I called BDLMR local area coordinators and guided them into the locality."

Sadly, the turtle had been entangled for some time and on closer inspection was found to be dead. The CWT Strandings Network was contacted by BDMLR. The two organisations regularly work together and, in a joint operation, their teams of volunteers immediately swung into action.

Sennen Cove Inshore Lifeboat, which was on exercise in the area, kindly towed the turtle to shore at Cape Cornwall. The animal was around 6 ft. long and it took a large team of volunteers to lift it. From there it was taken to the VLA at Truro for examination by scientists. Only six dead leatherbacks have been recorded in Cornwall and this animal offered a rare opportunity to learn more about the species and take samples for DNA testing.

"It was wonderful to have so many organisations working together to secure this important animal" said Joana Doyle, Marine Conservation Officer for the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Joana continued, "We're very grateful to the Sennen Cove Lifeboat crew; our volunteers and those of BDMLR; local fishermen and the Cape Cornwall Slipway Association; the National Trust and members of Gulf Stream Scuba, all of whom did a fantastic job."

Joana Doyle continued, "Leatherback turtles are critically endangered³ and are threatened not only by entanglement in fishing gear, but also by ingesting marine litter such as plastic carrier bags and balloons, probably mistaking them for jellyfish." Despite their tropical origins, Leatherback turtles are frequent visitors to Cornwall, travelling thousands of miles from their warm breeding grounds to our cooler waters to feed on jellyfish. Rory Goodall of Elemental Tours said, "As a marine wildlife boat trip operator it’s great to know that these amazing animals are regular visitors to our shores. On the other hand as a conservationist and a Cornwall Wildlife Trust strandings volunteer it is sad to think that this magnificent creature had taken so long to grow to this size, brave so many dangers from people, pollution and predators, such as sharks and killer whales, then travelled across thousands of miles of ocean from its tropical birth place only to die in lobster pot buoy ropes in a Cornish bay."

Please report all encounters with marine turtles in the UK, to help our understanding of their distribution and behaviour in UK waters and to help prevent such deaths in future. You can also participate in the Marine Conservation Society (MCS)⁴ Beachwatch or Adopt-a-Beach litter campaigns to help reduce the amount of litter in the sea. Please also take part in the MCS jellyfish survey to help scientists understand the relationship between marine turtles and their food.

1. The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is so different from the six other marine turtle species that it is in a taxonomic family all of its own called Dermochelyidae. This species has remained virtually unchanged since it first began swimming in the world's oceans more than 90 million years ago. Despite its long existence, many things about the leatherback remain a mystery to scientists. We have not yet been able to determine the answers to some basic questions, such as how long leatherbacks live or how quickly they grow. We are only now beginning to understand what routes leatherbacks take on their long transoceanic journeys, and what hazards they face throughout their lives. The leatherback turtle is the world's largest reptile. It is significantly larger than all other marine turtles. A leatherback's carapace (upper shell) can grow to more than two metres in length, and the turtles can weigh more than 900 kilograms. The leatherback is the only sea turtle that does not have a hard shell or scales. Instead, its carapace is covered with the leathery skin that gives the turtle its name. The leatherback turtle ranges further than any other reptile, with single turtles migrating across entire ocean basins. Leatherbacks can be found in the tropical, temperate and boreal waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. They are also found in the Mediterranean Sea.

2. British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) is proud of the fact that they are an entirely voluntary organisation (registered charity: 803438). For more information visit www.bdmlr.org.uk

3. The leatherback turtle is listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and is protected in Britain under the following:

4. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK Charity dedicated to the protection of the marine environment and its wildlife. For more information visit www.mcsuk.org